I appreciated Aaron's hard work, though most of it I saw was transferred to others. I'm glad he put in the time to make his contributions worth transferring in the first place. So thank you Mr. Johnson.

That said, I can't say I'm sad to see him go because I was under the impression he was already gone. If you want to completely withdraw from posting, I think cutting ties would see your curiosity with the forums die first. This idea doesn't necessarily pertain to Aaron, since I can say I really have had no contact with him in any way other than the bits of pages he'd left to live. I'm sure plenty of people from SP who leave in a tantrum while deleting their stuff because of their bruised ego in the forum immediately create a new account so they can see what people have to say about them afterwards. Thats their call, not mine. Deep down I'll know they dont have the thick skin to contribute to the jungle we call the internet. Again, not saying that as an attack on Aaron, just putting it out there. For you to see.

So yes, best of luck with your endeavors Aaron, and stay safe. I'm sure at some point we'll cross paths on a trail, but I wont know who you are so I'll just smile and greet you like I would for anyone else I see in the mountains.

Because after all, those who you come across in the real world aren't always the same persecuting bigots you see on the internet.

While interesting, it appears to me to be a feelble minded attempt of the Christain majority trying to frame themselves as some sort of persecuted tribe - a boondoggle at best. Good riddadance to someone with such a thin skin.

ExcitableBoy wrote:While interesting, it appears to me to be a feelble minded attempt of the Christain majority trying to frame themselves as some sort of persecuted tribe - a boondoggle at best. Good riddadance to someone with such a thin skin.

Couldn't care less about the forums. The broad information resources make SP unique - the true bread and butter of the site. They've aided in numerous routes and provided a number of outdoors opportunities not described on other sites. It's a pity to take content down simply because of the forums or other trivial reasons. The invaluable information some of you can provide is important for detailing mountaineering history, variety, culture, and opportunities for the younger generations.

Every time I view the forums, somebody is leaving or whining for one reason or another. The reasons tend to be fairly childish and counter-productive - ie "I'm leaving because the quality is going down; I'm leaving because the overall technical skill of the users is falling; I'm leaving because nobody takes the time to stroke my ego and vote on my content; I'm leaving because the mods are bullies and censor the forums; I'm leaving because somebody posts something controversial and the mods don't censor it."

C'mon. Really? The badasses who pioneered and documented all of these routes and provided the information to see others through the same routes safely are whining over trivial crap like that and dangling your information around like a series of hostages? Ye ol' softies. You're contributing to the reason you are disappointed; instead, contribute to the redeeming aspects of the site - the information, route descriptions, and articles. Else, the site is truly relegated to a mere shadow, waiting for another to take its place and your purpose and contributions to younger generations in this context will become lost.

23 years old and so much wisdom! Would you consider running for president?

Christ people. Dont turn this into a discussion on the merits of leaving/staying. If he wants to leave, let him. He will always be welcomed back, should he chose to do so. We all have our reasons for coming and going. It has nothing to do with thick skin or not. And I love CSU Marmot's comment - hell, he's one of the most sensitive guys here!

I find most people on the forums quite enjoyable and there are things I learn almost every day. But there are a few who I just get tired of hearing their shit/noise - and hence - must take a leave of absence. As for submissions, deleting them is truly tragic - I think transfering them to the orphanage page is much more grown up in my opinion. But to each his own. As Mark's post points out - it is his right to do so.

Aaron - bon voyage. Thanks for all your hard work. Wish you weren't taking the pages with you, but as Bob Burd says, they will be filled back in shortly - it's the invisible hand at work. Should you decide to come back, great - you will be welcomed with open arms.

I met Aaron once when he was visiting Vegas -- we hiked to Sentinel, one of my favorite local gems. He and Ellen are great people. What I regret most is the thought that we won't hike together again, since our bond was through SP.

I never objected to his postings on SP -- the postings seemed so moderate. But if any of you did find something objectionable, just remember that real people often differ a lot from their web personae.

Sorry to see you go, Aaron. I really enjoyed your trip reports and participation in the forums back in the good old days. Thanks to you, I will someday venture out to Capitol Reef to search for the 'Needle in the Haystack.'

Vitaliy M. wrote:Well it is obvious that OP also thinks elves are currently doing a terrible job. That is why he is pulling his pages and saying good bye (according to him).

Here you are 100% right and stating a fact. Would that you stopped there.

Vitaliy M. wrote:You know who to thank for this serious situation. Your boring self and others that is.

You mean that if it weren't for "boring" people like me arguing for civility in the forums Aaron wouldn't have left? But wait...I thought he left because of the opposite problem. Wasn't Aaron plagued by harrassment from non-boring forum denizens in the years before he left? Didn't these admittedly "exciting" people turn off serious contributors in droves, most of whom we'll never hear from again?

Your contempt not only for people but for ideas is embarassingly obvious.

For my part, I'm regretting a bit too much snarking on Aaron's departure. The guy was in real pain here, about something or another, and has earned the right to be free from backbiting comments. I'm editing the inflammatory content of my posts and won't reply any more (so you get the last word Vitaliy if that is how you choose to see my statement...as an admission of boring weakness ).